ASUS U41JF-A1

ASUS U41JF-A1

 

• 14-inch 720p (1366x768) glossy panel with LED backlighting
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel Core i3-380M dual-core processor (2.53GHz, 3MB L3, 4.8GT/s QPI, 35W TDP)
• Intel HM55 chipset
• Switchable graphics via Nvidia Optimus technology:
• Nvidia GeForce GT 425M w/ 1GB DDR3 memory
• Integrated Intel HD graphics
• 4GB DDR3-1066 dual-channel RAM (2x 2GB)
• 500GB 5400RPM Western Digital hard drive (WD5000BEVT)
• Atheros AR9285 802.11n wireless LAN
• DVD burner (MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ892AS)
• 2-year global limited warranty with 1 year accidental damage coverage
• 8-cell battery (14.4V, 5800mAh, 85Wh)
• Weight: 4.8 lbs.
• Dimensions: 13.5 x 10 x 1.1 inches

1. The good: Solid performance; includes switchable discrete graphics; slim body.
2. The bad: Two-tone body doesn't come off as high-end; lots of competition in this price range.
3. The bottom line: The Asus U41JF is a workmanlike but uninspiring 14-inch laptop that offers decent performance and graphics and excellent battery life, but costs nearly as much as a MacBook.

Asus drew the line at the Intel Core i3 processor, when others, like the Samsung QX410, HP Envy 14-1110NR, and Gateway ID49C13u, used higher-grade Core i5 CPUs. It's a well-played hand because Asus took the highest-clocked version of this series, the 2.53 Core i3-380M knowing the laptop also had an excellent graphics chip. It also didn't incur the cost premiums, or the additional heat that comes with a Core i5 processor. This paid off in performance tests like Handbrake (2:38), Cinebench R11.5 (2.39), and Adobe Photoshop CS5 scripts (4:52), where the Asus U41JF-A1 tallied the highest scores. Simply put: The U41JF-A1 can produce a video, run a multithreaded application, and finish a high-quality image render faster than the HP Envy 14, Samsung QX410-J01, and Gateway ID49C13u. It's a fast laptop, even if it didn't have the fastest processor on paper. 

The Nvidia GeForce 425M graphics chip is a major step up from the GeForce 310M found in its predecessor. It's a legitimate gaming laptop now, as it can handle Crysis (46.6 fps) and Lost Planet 2 (33.6 fps) at more than 30 frames per second (medium settings). Its 3DMark 06 score (8,189) doubled that of the U45Jc-A1 (3,799) and the QX410-J01 (4,200). Compared to other graphics chips, the 425M chip falls somewhere between the GeForce GT 330M chip found in the ID49C13u, and ATI Mobility Radeon 5650 found in the Envy 14-1110NR. When the GeForce 425M is not being used, say, when you're web surfing or on battery power, the system reverts to an Intel integrated graphics chip, a graphics switching mechanism Nvidia calls Optimus. 

Battery life is always determined by how big the battery is, because component placement will only get you so far. It's the reason why the Asus U45Jc-A1, with its monstrous 84WH battery, lasted a whopping 9 hours 27 minutes. The U41JF-A1 was given a similar size battery (83WH), and though it didn't last as long as its predecessor, a score of 8 hours 19 minutes is far greater than what the MacBook Pro (5:05) and QX410-J01 (6:27) could come up with. 

Mainstream laptops that can muscle their way through any task aren't hard to find, but find me one with a battery that can last an entire day. It doesn't happen very often. The Asus U41JF-A1 picks up where the Asus U45Jc-A1 left off, combining some of the fastest parts—the highest-clocked Core i3 processor and Nvidia GeForce 425M GT graphics chip—with the biggest battery available. No other mainstream laptop on the market strikes such a strong balance between performance and battery life.

sumber:_http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376737,00.asp_http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/asus-u41jf-a1-core/4505-3121_7-34443624.html_http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=6029&review=asus+u41jf